Prey
by animalsarepeopletoo
Summary: Intervening in a hold-up has disastrous consequences for Izuku Midoriya when he's unknowingly marked by a villain to be hunted down within the week. But when he's cursed to endless insomnia as well, he has to soldier through exhaustion on top of a looming death threat. However, Izuku can only survive without sleep for so long… and the predator might get to his prey first. ABANDONED
1. Chapter 1

**This is a rough first chapter, but my brain's too wacked out to edit properly. XD I prewrote most of this in Whumptober (this was my long lost "Exhaustion" prompt that spiraled into 15K - yep), so I'll update twice a week! Hope you guys enjoy, and do RR.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1:**

Sometimes, Izuku felt like he had the worst luck.

From being born quirkless to eventually _having_ a quirk that destroyed his body when he used it, he definitely wasn't part of the luckier half of the population. But every once in awhile, he caught a break. He had a great mom, amazing friends, got into the best school in Japan… some days were really good.

Today wasn't one of those days.

Izuku and a few of his classmates had gone to town on their Saturday off to do a little shopping and sightseeing. After a long week of training, it was time to relax a little. Eventually, Ashido had managed to drag them inside a jewelry shop to look around, though none of them except Yaoyorozu could afford anything.

Overall, Izuku was having a pretty good time. He hadn't bought anything but enjoyed spending the day with his friends.

That was, until a suspicious-looking customer at the cash register violently yanked the store clerk to his side. With an unfaltering expression of malice, he whipped a gun to the jewelry clerk's head, deadly serious.

"ON THE FLOOR, PEOPLE, OR BODIES WILL START DROPPING!"

Taken aback at the violent turn of events, no one moved.

"FINE, SO YOU WANT THIS GUY DEAD? MOVE IT ALREADY!"

His hostage looked terrified, whispering a litany of pleas for mercy. The villain ignored him as most of the customers dropped to their knees, covering their heads from the chaos around them. Only a few remained frozen, too shocked to follow orders.

"What do we do?" Uraraka whispered to Izuku. They were near the end of the store, in a place where they were unable action against the criminal. Everyone else in their small group (Ashido, Iida, Yaoyorozu, Kaminari, and Tsu) looked like they wanted to jump in the fight but hesitated. Everyone knew it was against the law and was dangerous.

"We have to do what he says," Izuku said lowly, sinking to the floor. Uraraka followed him down and the others soon copied. "If we do something, we might make him mad enough to shoot someone. We can't get there in time - he's closer to the clerk than-"

"KID! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE WHISPERING ABOUT?"

That was the moment Izuku realized this was going to be a bad day. A _really really really_ bad day.

"N-nothing," Izuku said. _Don't come over here. Please don't come over here._

His silent pleaa didn't work.

Yanking the clerk with him, the villain stormed over to Izuku, stopping short right in front of him. His murderous expression remained, not an ounce of sympathy apparent. "I don't like liars, kid. You got something to say?"

Up close, Izuku could see his eyes were an eerie… yellow. And they were strangely growing cloudy. _Cloudy? Is that his quirk or something?_ "I told you to get on the floor. I told you to be quiet. But you didn't listen to me… they never do." The hand holding the gun to the clerk's head pressed tighter against his skull.

"NO! Don't hurt him!" Izuku shouted. When had things gone so wrong? "Please, just think about what you're doing. You're going to regret this…!"

"Oh, I'll give you something to regret." The villain's gloved fingers twitched in the direction of the gun's switch. Izuku's eyes widened, a gasp spilling from his lips. Something was going to happen if he didn't do anything. That clerk was going to get _killed_ if he just sat there and watched!

 _What can I do?! If I make a move, I risk everyone's life in here, which isn't an option. But if I don't do anything, I know that man's going to die. I've got to think… how can I turn the situation around? What's the right thing to do?_

However, it turned out he didn't have to do anything. The petrified clerk had seemed to lose the ability to think rationally in his terror and was desperate to do anything to save himself. He abruptly kicked his captor's legs and, unbalanced, the villain flew backwards and landed flat on his back. His gun slipped from his grip and clattered to his side.

The clerk was at last released and he bolted away, screeching for help.

 _Darn it!_

Izuku gritted his teeth. The man shouldn't have done that - the villain could've easily shot him if he saw what he was going to do beforehand.

 _But he hadn't_. And Izuku knew what he had to do now.

 _I need to take advantage of this opening! It's the only one I've got!_

Without another second to spare, he leapt forward to try and grab the fallen gun away from the villain's side before he could get his hands on it himself. This was the only way he could help without actually fighting. Every instinct within him screamed that close combat with a gun was a mistake. He should run away while he had the chance.

But his eyes couldn't help but scan over all the terrified people hunched over on the floor. Through tear-filled eyes, they were looking for deliveranceLooking for help. Looking at _him_.

He had to save them. If the villain got his hands on that gun again, someone could get hurt. He was the only one who had this opportunity… _I have to do this!_

However, he didn't expect what happened next.

The villain gave a nasty smile, yellow eyes locked on his. Izuku expected him to lunge towards the gun… but he didn't. He simply closed his eyes-

-and _exploded_ into a yellow fog.

Bewildered by the change of events, Izuku could only stand there as the gas expanded towards him and the other people. Everyone started to scream, scrambling away from the potentially poisonous fog. It was no secret how dangerous quirks could wind up being - if this even was his quirk.

Izuku tried to use Full Cowling to speed away, but nothing happened. He desperately tried again, but his quirk just… wouldn't work.

 _A quirk-canceling gas?_ his mind screamed as the yellow mist at last enveloped him. Nearby, his friends were panicking, screaming that they were coming to save him, but he couldn't let them. They'd be in the same state he was in right now. He was terrified by what might happen to him but he wasn't going to put his friends in danger, too.

"G-go!" he choked out. The yellow gas tried to squirm its way into his throat as he spoke. "Get out of here… s-save the others! I'll get out of here my-myself!" He leaned over as a coughing fit strangled him.

"... _Deku_ …!"

"Hold on!"

"We're coming!"

"NO! S… stay! I-I'll be fine!" he rasped. "I promise. _GO_!"

" _No, we can't leave him_ -"

" _The back door's right over here-_ "

" _-only got a minute-_ "

" _Midori_ …"

The fog clogged his ears and he suddenly couldn't hear his friends anymore. He couldn't think. He couldn't _breathe._ Choking on his own breath, he slowly sank to the floor. For ten slow, pounding seconds, he was certain that he was going to pass out.

His head spun. His body was weak. He felt faint.

He remained on the floor, awake but immobile.

 _What's happening to me?_

Silent minutes passed. By now, the yellow fog had completely enveloped the store. Dimly, Izuku wondered whether his friends had decided to leave, but hoped at least all the customers had made it out.

 _I can't… keep lying here_ …, he thought. _If I do… I'll die… I have to at least try and escape._ He struggled to sit up, gathering his surroundings.

It wasn't likely that anyone would come back after leaving to save him. Nobody knew the gas's qualities and didn't want to risk toxic exposure. It'd be hours before a specialist team would get inside and by that time, he might be dead. _I can't be sure someone will be able to save me in time. I have to do this on my own._

He squinted through the yellow haze, coughing. _The door's a little over there to my left… if I can just get over there, maybe I can make it out. It'll be easier for someone to be able to help me if they're nearby, too._

Tensing his shaking muscles, he slowly made his way across the floor. Every once in awhile he had to stop and catch his breath. The fog allowed him to breathe, but barely. Oxygen was far too scarce to survive with for long.

Finally, he was able to reach the door. He noticed the fog hadn't tried to escape underneath the bottom of it yet, but didn't have time to ponder over the abnormality. He had to escape or he was going to die.

Izuku pushed open the door, allowing the fresh air to come in and him to get out. His mission complete, he stumbled to the ground, whatever adrenaline he'd had before draining away.

"...meone's coming out!"

"Is it the villain?"

"Oh my gosh, _run!_ "

"No, look-!"

"It's the kid! The kid's alive!"

Izuku wanted to cry in relief as a few customers from earlier ran over to help him. Exhausted, he let them lift him to his feet and help him over to a grassy area in front of the store.

"Kid? _Kid_? Are you okay?"

He coughed violently, feeling himself go pale. "Yeah… yeah…"

"He doesn't look too good."

"How far away is the ambulance?"

"Call those other hero kids over here! They've been trying to get back in to save this one."

Someone ran off while a man and a woman stayed to support him as he sat on the grass. He felt much better than he had while in that store, but was still light-headed and generally out of it. He knew he would need a while before he'd go back to feeling normal.

"Do you know what that gas was?" the woman asked him worriedly. "Gosh. I hope it wasn't poisonous. You must've breathed a lot in."

His limp head jerked up. "The gas!" He'd left the door open! Was it escaping into the street? Would the others be affected by it?! He had to let them know…!

However, when he managed to focus his blurry eyes on the store, he saw that the fog hadn't moved. In fact… it was _shrinking._ Through the glass windows, he could see the dense yellow starting to fade away. It hadn't even tried to make its way out like a regular gas.

 _What the… what's going on?_

"DEKU!"

A scream wrenched him from his thoughts. He turned his head towards the source of the cry and saw Uraraka and the others running to him from the back of the store, faces streaked with tears.

"Midoriya, are you alright?" Iida shouted. His group of friends at last reached him and dropped to the ground by his side, everyone reaching forward to touch him like they wanted to make sure he was real. The man and woman who'd been helping him took a step back.

Izuku gave another cough, and then croaked, "Yeah. I was pretty freaked out… but I'm not dead, right? And… I don't feel that bad… Not like I would've thought…"

Uraraka gave a sob. "We thought you had d-died… we thought we l-left you in there and you… y-y-you didn't c-come out… a-a-and…"

"No, d-don't cry! I'm okay, I swear!" Izuku looked her straight in the eye. "I told you guys to go. And it was the best thing you could've done. I'm really proud of you - all of you."

"Thank you, Midoriya… however, I regret leaving your side," Iida said sorrowfully. "You showed great courage trying to retrieve the gun in order to help the others. I wish we had been able to do the same for you. Next time, we will work harder to stop something like this before it even happens."

Izuku smiled weakly. "Let's just hope there isn't a next time."

* * *

The next hour flew by in a blur. Paramedics arrived to examine them all, along with some scary-looked people head to toe in what looked like spacesuits. They were there to check out the gas inside and take toxicity levels, though nearly all of the mist was gone by now.

Izuku was taken to the hospital in an ambulance to be further tested in case the gas had any poisonous substances that might affect him. By now, he was feeling much better. The slight dizziness remained, along with a rapidly pounding heart, but he was fine other than that.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Uraraka kept telling him. She came with him inside the ambulance, sitting next to him in quiet support. Only she and Iida could fit in the tiny vehicle, the others having to ride with the police.

"Me too."

When they arrived at the hospital, he was taken away by a team of poisonous gas experts, where they began to test his breath, blood pressure, and pretty much everything else that could be measured. His blood pressure was elevated, but they said that was expected after a scare as great as the one he'd been in. When the breath results came back, they'd know whether or not he'd be okay.

Izuku was nervous, to say the least. He didn't feel like anything was wrong with him, but that didn't necessarily mean he got away unscathed. He really hoped the gas was just a distraction and not a defense mechanism…

"The results just got back," said the woman who'd earlier introduced herself as Dr. Ohno. Izuku and his friends were all waiting in a hospital room, advised not to leave until they knew whether the gas was toxic or not.

"What was the conclusion…?" Iida asked for all of them.

 _Not poisonous. Please say not poisonous._

"You're going to be just fine," Dr. Ohno at last smiled. A sigh of relief slumped the students in their seats. "The gas was tested for everything from carbon monoxide to phosgene. Nothing showed up. We went a step further to make sure there were no foreign substances in the gas that could be lethal… There was nothing. Since you seem to be showing no symptoms as well, I think it's safe to say the gas was meant for distraction only."

Izuku felt like Uraraka was using her zero gravity on him as the previous weight on his shoulders lifted. He was going to be alright.

"Guess I got off lucky this time," he breathed, while the others cheered.

Dr. Ohno smiled. "You can stay tonight for observation if you'd like, but you're free to go back home if you feel well enough. We're trying to find out if the villain is on any records now to see if anyone has recorded his quirk; we might contact you later to let you know. If you have any questions, call me - I'll be your main doctor for this time period."

"Okay, thanks! I think I'll go back to school. I'm pretty tired, but I don't think I need to stay here." A part of him wanted to make sure everything was really okay, but the thought of staying the night made him grimace. He was a regular patient in hospitals as it was and didn't want to stay longer than he had to.

"Let's get you out of here," Kaminari grinned. "Man, the others are so gonna wish they had come today…!"

"Yeah… Oh, wait! Dr. Ohno!" Izuku had almost forgotten. "When I first breathed in the gas, my quirk wouldn't work. It does now, though." He held up a crackling green hand to prove it. "Do you have any idea why?"

The doctor paused. "Hmm… well, it seemed like an intense situation. The gas was unfamiliar to your lungs, which might've prevented your body from maxing itself out any further. We'll look into it. Thanks for letting me know."

"Sure." He stood up from his seat. "Let's go."

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait… Midoriya almost _what?!_ "

Mouths gaped. Class 1-A was all gathered in Heights' Alliance lounge as the students who'd been in the store attack hours earlier explained what had happened

"Holy crap." Kirishima whistled. "If only I'd been there… I could've steeled myself to get that villain before any of it even happened _and_ gotten through the gas."

"I could've exploded it," Bakugo said grudgingly.

"Are you alright, Midoriya?" Todoroki asked.

"Yeah, you seemed to go through a lot for one day."

"As in a _lot_ , a lot."

"Talk about a bad day in town."

Izuku blushed at all the concern. "No, I'm fine! Just glad I'm still alive…" He laughed nervously.

"That calls for a celebration!" Iida declared. "We're all very happy you turned out to be alright. We had been afraid that we'd lost you when the gas overwhelmed the store earlier…" There was a beat of dark silence. "Perhaps we could do something with you that you enjoy to prove our gratefulness for your survival!"

"Oh, no. It's okay. We don't have to-"

"Come on, whatever you'd like!" Kirishima said.

The rest of the class chimed in, saying they'd love to do whatever he wanted. They were that happy that he was alright. Bakugo didn't say anything, but he seemed to agree to go along with the plan.

Izuku grinned, at last giving in. "Okay. I've always liked quirkball, I guess we can do that…"

The rest of the afternoon passed into evening and they all had a great time together playing "quirkball"- an sport where two rivaled teams played soccer… but with quirks. When he was little, Izuku had loved watching the other kids use their amazing powers during the game. It was awesome being able to actually participate for the first time.

Dinner came and went. Before they knew it, it was time to call it a night and get to bed.

"Night, guys!" Uraraka said as she headed into her dorm. "I had a lot of fun today!"

"Same," Kaminari agreed.

"We should do it again sometime."

"Yeah!"

"Maybe tomorrow, we-"

Iida shook his head. "SETTLE DOWN! We can talk about games in the morning. It's been a very long day. I'd suggest we'd all get some sleep now. Especially you, Midoriya, you look exhausted."

Izuku rubbed his eyes. "H-huh? Oh yeah, I guess I am pretty tired… sleep sounds great."

"You deserve it!"

"Night!"

"Goodnight."

"YOU ALL BETTER SHUT YOUR FACES BY THE TIME I'M IN BED, YOU HEAR ME?"

With a slight smile, Izuku entered his dorm. A yawn struck him before he could stop himself. It really had been a long day. Just hours earlier, he'd been dimly laying on the floor, believing death was near.

He clenched his tremoring fists. _I'm alive. I'm okay. And the gas wasn't even poisonous. Everything turned out alright in the end. I hope that villain in the store gets caught soon, though… he really freaked me out for some reason._

After slowly getting changed, he climbed into his warm bed. _I'll feel better in the morning after a good night's rest. I don't even have class for another day. There's plenty of time to recover and make sure I'm ready for the next time a situation like this happens._

Izuku closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to draw him into its quiet depths. He was so tired - so ready for the peacefulness of unconsciousness…

Ten minutes passed. Nothing. Not even a doze off.

Twenty. Thirty.

Still awake. Alert.

 _Stupid hyperactive brain. I've just got to relax._

He sucked in a breath, then released, like he did when he tried to loosen himself. His pounding heart remained rapid, but he felt his body lose tension.

 _Alright,_ now _I'm ready for sleep…_

He waited…and waited. And waited even more. Nothing happened.

At the end of his frustration, he sat up in bed. _This sucks. I wonder how long I've been up like this…_ Curious, he grabbed his phone off his desk to check the time.

2:14 AM.

 _Holy crap._ He'd been trying to sleep for _four hours_ and he couldn't even nod off, though he was sagging with fatigue. This was a new level of weird.

He gave up on the hope of getting any sleep tonight. It was obvious that wasn't going to happen. Maybe it was due to all the stressful events of the day, or maybe it was something else… he wasn't sure. This was all so strange.

Well. He might as well get something useful done while he was up.

He slipped down from his bed and padded over to his desk. He could do a little homework while he was up… something to pass the time and be productive. Working might exhaust his brain into falling asleep, too.

All in all, he had a feeling he was in for one long night…


	2. Chapter 2

**Hope you guys are having a great week so far! Things start picking up a little more in this chapter, but I promise we'll find out more about the events in the summary soon... as usual, wonky editing, blah blah blah... enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2:**

8 AM found Izuku numbly drinking coffee in the kitchen when the others at last came down for breakfast. His eyes seemed distant, lost deep into his thoughts, and his body was slumped in his seat. Something was definitely... wrong.

"Er... Deku?" Uraraka said in surprise when her eyes fell on him. He wasn't usually the first one up. Or nursing a coffee mug, for that matter.

He blinked heavily, seeming to just register her appearance. "Oh, hi! Morning."

"Morning… I didn't know you drank coffee."

"I don't."

"Then… why…?"

"It doesn't taste very good, but… it wakes you up. That's what they say, at least." He took a long sip from his mug that caused the others to furrow their brows. "There's more left in the pot if you guys want it."

The class exchanged a look that Izuku didn't miss, even as fatigued as he was.

"I couldn't sleep at all last night," he explained, not wanting them to think he was going crazy. He was just tired. "I'm… well, pretty much exhausted after everything that happened yesterday, but I just can't fall asleep..."

"Oh no! I'm sorry, Deku, that's rough." After giving him a sympathetic look, Uraraka grabbed a cereal bowl from a kitchen cabinet and began to pour out a box of _Gang Orca O's_.

Kirishima got himself a breakfast bar ( _Best Jeanist Bars_ \- everything was hero-branded these days) and then sat next to Izuku at the table. The other students followed his example and started to prepare their breakfasts as well or sit at the table beside him. "That's weird. Do you have trouble sleeping or something?"

"No, not really."

"Perhaps this is a side effect of all the stress of yesterday," Yaoyorozu offered. She started to plug in the toaster.

"Yeah, maybe," Izuku agreed, yawning. He hadn't been able to relax; the attack could've been a factor in that. It was all his brain could think about now. "I don't know, I've never experienced anything like this before…"

"WHAT ARE YOU WHINING ABOUT?" Bakugo barked. Having clearly just woken up from the state of his erratic hair, his grumpiness was maximized this morning. "So, you pulled an all-nighter. Who _hasn't_?"

"Bakugo, don't be so mean, he went through a lot yesterday!" Uraraka said.

"ONE NIGHT WITHOUT SLEEP SHOULDN'T ALLOW HIM TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ALL HIS STUPID PROBLEMS!"

Izuku cringed, wanting to defuse the rising conflict. "I... sorry, Kacchan, I wasn't trying to-"

Suddenly, his phone began to ring loudly, cutting off the conversation. Curious, as he wasn't expecting any calls this early in the morning, he slipped it out of his pocket. He didn't recognize the unknown number flashing on the screen, but figure he'd answer to see who it was anyways.

"Uh - hello?"

" _This is the phone number Izuku Midoriya put down on his contact information. May I speak with him please?_ "

It was a woman. She sounded serious and cooly professional, her smooth voice pulling him to attention.

"Oh!" He tried to push away his exhaustion to focus on the call. "Yeah. This is Izuku speaking."

" _Great. This is Narumi from Akiyama Hospital calling. I have some news for you._ "

Izuku jerked up straight in his seat. Akiyama Hospital was the hospital he'd gone to yesterday after the store incident. They told him they'd contact him if they had any information on the gas or the villain they needed to tell him. That meant something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Had it turned out the gas had been poisonous after all?! Was he going to die? Or had the villain attacked again somewhere else? Was someone hurt...?

"What is it?" Uraraka asked, freezing mid-bite of her cereal. She always sensed when he was worried.

"The hospital," he whispered, but couldn't explain further, as the lady on the phone ( _Narumi_ , he remembered) was speaking again.

" _You were attacked by a villain yesterday and inhaled a large quantity of gas. The results showed no toxic activity and don't worry - that diagnosis remains._ " His shoulders slumped. _Thank goodness._ " _However, we've discovered who was behind the assault._ "

"Y-you did? Who was it?"

" _A man who calls himself Canamist, the combination of 'canary', for canary yellow, and 'mist' for his gas. He's been around for a few years now. Apparently, he's held up a few stores before, and people have reported seeing yellow gas extend from his body during the attacks._ "

He deflated. "He's done this before?"

" _A few towns over, yes, and one on the other side of the country._ "

"That's awful… but, I guess, we at least know who he is now." There was something else nagging at him, though. A question he'd kept turning over in his mind since the attack. "So… er, did you guys find out what the gas was for, though? I know it might've been just a distraction, but…" He still had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

There was a beat of silence on the other end of the line, then a sigh. " _We have some ideas. He's been known to… do something to his victims when they breathe in his gas. Firstly, however, we think the gas has some sort of tracker in it._ "

"What? Why?"

A sigh. " _Because a few days after a person breathes it in, Canamist finds them. He... hunts them down, to put it shortly._ "

His heart plummeted as a chill brushed across his skin. "Hunts them… d-down?"

 _He'd_ breathed in that gas, so... did that mean _he_ was a target now? Was this Canamist guy lurking around the campus as he prepared to kill him… right that second?

" _We're not exactly sure what happens to the person when they breathe in the gas, but the same thing has been recorded to happen to two separate individuals. They were both killed within a week after the original attack at Canamist's hands - one after four days, the other in six. He waits, then preys on his victims when they least expect it._ "

His body stiffened to the point where his grip on his phone made his hand purple and he soon found that he couldn't _breathe._ So it was true, then. A murderous villain was looming out there and Izuku was his chosen prey.

"Midoriya, what's wrong?" Kaminari whispered. The rest of the class was leaned towards him, picking up on his outward growing panic.

He swallowed away the hollow lump in his throat that seemed to be trying to suffocate him. "Just… a second…" He dimly returned to the phone call. "U-uh, ma'am? Are you saying that… Canamist is going to come back and try to - kill me?" First no sleep, and now this. His luck was just growing worse and worse.

" _Kill you_?" Iida gasped. "Midoriya, what is going on…?!"

" _We're not completely certain, Izuku… but we're not going to take any chances. The hospital has already contacted several heroes to track Canamist down. Until they find and apprehend him, I ask that you stay with someone at all times and try to be as safe as possible._ "

His head spun while his stomach turn in knots. _Someone's out there waiting to kill me._ Kill _me._ He shuddered. "Al… alright."

" _I'm so sorry for this huge surprise_ ," Narumi apologized _._ " _It must be scary. But know that the heroes, as well as the hospital, will do everything in their power to remove this threat._ _You're in the hands of some of the best people out there."_

"Yeah… Yeah, I know. Thanks," he said hoarsely.

" _Stay safe. We'll call if we have any updates, but we'll try to stay out of your way._ " Narumi sighed. " _I have to go now. Don't worry too much, Izuku._ _This will probably be wrapped up within a few days._ "

"I know." Despite the present terror overwhelming him, he knew she was right. _I shouldn't worry. Pro heroes are after this guy - nothing's going to happen to me. I'm not going to die. Not this week, at least._

 _Click._ Narumi hung up on him with a final goodbye. He slowly let his phone drop to the table, face faltering.

"Midoriya?"

"Who was that?"

"Did you say someone's trying to _kill_ you?"

"YOU'RE GOING TO DIE?!"

"Guys - quiet down, I'll tell you everything," Izuku said, but there wasn't much effort put into his tone. "That was the hospital. They found out who held up the store yesterday…" He grimaced. "And what he might do next."

* * *

Class 1-A made a unanimous decision to stick to Izuku's side at all times after they'd been told the grim news. Despite his assurances that they didn't need to constantly watch out for him, they refused to back down. They weren't going to take any chances with a dangerous villain out there with Izuku on his hit list.

It was a Sunday, so they all hung out around the dormitory, exercised their quirks, and more. There was always someone around to watch Izuku. He later called Inko to let her know about the attack yesterday, but left out the parts where he almost died. He hadn't been hurt and he didn't want to scare her for something that hadn't even happened.

" _Are you sure you don't want to come back home until the heroes find this Canamist?_ " his mother said anxiously.

"No, I'll be fine. The pros are amazing - they'll find him for sure. I'll be safe until then. I promise."

" _...Alright. I trust you and our heroes. Just remember that you're welcome to come here anytime if you need to!_ _And if you just want to come back if you feel like you're not safe enough at school_ …"

"Thanks, Mom."

By evening time, Class 1-A had calmed down a little from earlier, but were still on edge. It was difficult to believe this was happening to a fellow classmate - especially with so little warning.

"I wish we could go after this guy," Kirishima grumbled at dinner, swirling his chopsticks angrily at the bottom of his rice bowl. "Waiting around for something to happen sucks."

Bakugo gritted his teeth. "I'd be glad to blast any bastard right now." _Probably including me_ , Izuku thought, knowing Bakugo's words were not a sign of sympathy.

Iida was quick to argue with the two. "It would not be wise to chase after a villain! Doing so could lead to imminent trouble." Izuku knew he was thinking about the Hosu Incident, and a glance at Todoroki confirmed his suspicion. "Even though we desire to help, this would be best left to the more experienced heroes. If we stepped in, it could lead to one of us getting hurt or taken hostage - things we must avoid!"

Uraraka sighed. "Yeah… still, it's no fun not knowing what's going on and not being able to help."

They all got quiet. It was too true.

Double exhausted from not being able to sleep the night before, Izuku went up to his dorm early that night, assuring the others he didn't need a vigil to keep watch in his room for Canamist.

"If you say so," Iida said reluctantly. "However, if you change your mind, we are all too happy to offer protection!"

"I'll be fine alone in my dorm, but thanks, Iida." He knew he just wanted to make sure he was safe. A minute later, he managed to slip away back to his room, feeling fatigue tug his body down and his brain luring him to his bed.

Man, was he ready for some shut-eye _._

 _I just hope I can actually sleep tonight._

He crawled into bed, squeezed his eyes shut, and waited for what seemed like eternity.

 _Come on, sleep, I'm ready for you this time._

...and nothing happened.

Izuku turned over on his bed, pressing his fists against the sides of his face in frustration. He just couldn't do it; he couldn't _relax_. His body just… wouldn't let him. Ugh, this was torture. He was so tired - why couldn't sleep?

"This has got to stop," he muttered as he buried his head beneath the covers, praying for anything to happen. Through his darkened vision, all he could see was that last, haunting vision of Canamist's face lit with a sick smile. The one he'd given Izuku before exploding into that fog. He seemed... pleased with something, though Izuku couldn't fathom what.

 _Well, if Canamist doesn't get to me first, sleep deprivation will_ , he thought sarcastically. He paid no mind to the eerie ring of truth to the statement. Because, surely, that was far too ridiculous to make any sense… right?

Either way, he knew the next couple of days wouldn't be easy.

* * *

"Um… Deku? Are you alright?" Uraraka asked the next morning, seeing Izuku's head lying face-down on the breakfast table. She'd just come downstairs from her dorm, thinking she was the first one to wake up and found her friend had beaten her down again. Izuku looked like he was asleep… but why wasn't he in bed, then?

"Uraraka!" His neck jerked up to lift his head so he could see her. He distractedly tried to flatten his messy hair. "H-hi! Morning - good morning."

She approached the table. "Were you... asleep? Did I wake you up?"

"N-no! I was just resting my eyes for a minute."

"...You had trouble sleeping again."

"Wha…? No… no, I'm okay." His yawn betrayed his attempt at a lie.

"Maybe you should tell Mr. Aizawa or something," she suggested. "We have class today. I mean, he takes naps all the time, right? He might be able to help!"

As tempting as the idea of telling his emotionless teacher about his insomnia was… he wasn't sure he wanted to run to him with his problems. He didn't know what was keeping him up, but Aizawa probably wouldn't be able to help. It wasn't a big deal, anyways.

"It's fine," he said. "I'll get some rest later, after basic hero training… I've just got to calm my brain down."

The others arrived down the elevator shortly after and they were unable to continue their conversation. Uraraka gave him a worried look, clearly wishing he'd give in, but it was already time to eat and head off to class.

Izuku thought he'd been tired yesterday, but today he was literally dragging as he and his friends marched across campus. He hoped he'd be able to focus in class; it was hard to keep his train of thought even then…

"Morning," Aizawa said as his students entered his classroom and claimed their seats.

"Good morning, sir," the class chorused. Izuku sank down on his desk a little, feeling drowsy.

The teacher's stoic gaze swept over his students. "I heard one of you encountered a villain over the weekend."

There was a large shift as every head in the classroom turned to look at Izuku. He shrunk down even further. "O-oh! Yeah, it just kind of… happened, you know...?"

"I was out of town the past couple of days and didn't hear about it until today." Aizawa's face softened. "I'm relieved you weren't injured." Strangely, he didn't continue.

Izuku was startled. No harsh reprimanding? No being yanked forward by his teacher's tapes for a lecture? No threatens of expulsion?

"However…" _Oh. T_ _here it is..._ "As noble as it is to try and help someone in need, you were in a situation where things could've gone very wrong. The villain could've shot you or a customer, or that gas of his could've been poisonous; yes, I heard about that, too."

"Well… I didn't _jump_ into the fight," Izuku tried. "I just had to get the gun away from him… and things kind of spiraled after that."

"They did. Again, I'm relieved that you weren't hurt. But, keep in mind the danger you were facing that moment, as all heroes must. This should be a lesson to all of you - if you become a pro, you will face this situation. You need to know how to react when it does happen. Things could've gone differently and someone could've wound up hurt. A good hero thinks through all their options before taking action."

"I will next time," he said, a little more confidently. Aizawa was right; though getting the gun away from the villain was a seemingly good option at a time, there might've been several other safer choices he could've made. He'd have to keep that knowledge in mind for the future. Aizawa finally turned his attention away from him and resumed his class, silently letting Izuku know he wasn't in trouble for stepping in. He breathed out a sigh of relief.

Hours later, lunch finally rolled around, and the students burst from the classroom, ready to eat. Izuku was a little slow coming out and Uraraka and Iida waited for him to catch up.

"You look like you need a nap," she said lightly.

"That sounds good," he muttered.

Iida gave a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in an exasperated manner. "How many times must I tell you people? Proper rest and nutrition is vital to-"

"-a person's health," Izuku and Uraraka said at the same time, knowing their friend all too well.

"Seriously, though, Deku - maybe you should talk to Recovery Girl." Uraraka looked serious. "It's been two days since you slept and you've gone through a lot since then…"

"TWO DAYS?!" Iida practically shouted. "Midoriya, your insistence that you are alright is ridiculous! Two days without rest could cause serious problems!"

Izuku winced at his loudness, more sensitive to sound than he normally was. "Uraraka… I didn't really want anyone else to know…"

"Oh! Sorry… I'm just worried. I mean, this all has to be happening for a reason. People don't just stop sleeping all the sudden for nothing."

Iida looked thoughtful, calming down from his earlier rant to try and suggest a solution. "Perhaps this is all linked to an illness...? I know little of insomnia, but it could be a symptom of something else, not a condition in itself."

"I don't know, maybe…" Izuku rubbed his eyes with a trembling hand, the long morning catching up to him. "Agh. I _just_ wish I could _sleep_ … Is that too much to… to…" Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over him and he staggered slightly, almost slumping to the floor. He leaned against the wall with one sweaty hand, trying to compose himself.

" _Deku_? What's wrong?!"

A concerned Uraraka and Iida hurried to his side, Uraraka grabbing one of his hands and Iida propping him up with an arm that wrapped around his shoulder. They moved swiftly, no hesitation in the decision to help their friend.

Izuku squinted, the light around him magnified and sound increased tenfold. A shot of pain ran through his pounding head and he pressed a fist to his temple as his vision doubled. "My... my head…"

"Midoriya? What about your head? Are you ill?"

He had to close his eyes for a moment before his body would allow him to start working again. "Sorry. No - I'm good. I just got dizzy… for a second…" He swallowed back his discomfort, trying to gently push his friends away. "I'm okay now. We should get going..."

"You're not okay, Deku - you almost collapsed!" Uraraka exclaimed, refusing to release her tight grip on his hand. "You need to go see Recovery Girl!"

"Uraraka..." Izuku didn't feel like going to the nurse's office, but his desire for rest soon won out. Plus, it was about time he stopped pretending everything was alright and ask for some help. He knew all too well what hiding an illness or injury could lead to. Maybe Recovery Girl could help him get some sleep, too. "Okay. I'll go… but I'll manage by myself. I don't want to make you guys late for lunch, you probably only have forty minutes left as it is…"

"We are your friends, Midoriya - lunches can be substituted. Health cannot," Iida said. There was no trace of annoyance on his expression.

Uraraka bobbed her head furiously. "Plus, you shouldn't be alone with Canamist out there! Even though U.A. is a really safe place, you can never be too careful. We should go with you."

Izuku gave a small smile, knowing she just didn't want him to feel alone. "I guess you're right."

Upon finally granting his friends permission to assist him, Uraraka and Iida accompanied him to Recovery Girl's office, watching him closely even though he didn't have anymore dizzy spells. He was a little embarrassed at all the trouble over him, but knew his friends wanted to help - and there wasn't much he could do to change that.

Recovery Girl's brow furrowed when Izuku told her about his sleeping problems, then reluctantly told him that she couldn't use her powers on him, as that would only exhaust him further. Physical and mental problems were spaciously different and therefore would take different remedies. Since he wasn't able to sleep, that would only make him more miserable. Instead, she gave him a few medicines that would help him fall asleep, telling him to come back if they didn't work. He thanked her and then he and his classmates left.

"This is great, Deku! Now you'll be able to sleep tonight," Uraraka grinned, pumping up a fist as they hurried down the hall. They were attempting to make the last fifteen minutes of lunch, even though it might not be worth it by the time they arrived.

"Yeah!" Izuku tried to be excited in return, but he couldn't help the nagging fear in his head that wondered what he'd do if Recovery Girl's medicine _didn't_ work.

 _Oh, come on. I can't be such a pessimist. Of course it'll help, it's supposed to. Why wouldn't it?_

Iida shook his head. "I'm glad this eerie nonsense will be put to rest."

A giggle suddenly escaped Uraraka's lips.

"What?" Iida demanded, looking curious.

"Did you just… make a pun?" She laughed again and this time Izuku joined in, understanding what she meant.

Iida looked like he'd been accused of doing a horrendous crime. "Of _course_ not, puns are for silly chil-" He paused. "Ah. _Put to rest_ … Midoriya's insomnia… Yes. I suppose I did." After a long moment, his lips twitched upwards, and they all smiled at each other.

"Let's get to lunch," Izuku chuckled. "We've been gone so long, the others probably think Canamist got in and-"

He caught himself, realizing that that was not the right joke to make at this time as his friends' faces darkened. Even he was surprised at the words that had come out of his mouth. For the moment, they had all forgotten about the impending threat that could possibly take a life. The reminder how abruptly danger could strike was sobering.

"Sorry, um... never mind," he muttered, ducking his head. "Let's just go."

Uraraka looked like she wanted to say something, but bit her lip at the last moment as she nodded.

As they walked, Izuku chided himself. _I can't forget about the fact that a villain's hunting me_ , he thought. _I've got to keep my guard up until the pros can find him. The heroes will probably finish the job within the next few days, though. I shouldn't freak myself out too much. I'm the safest I could ever be here, right? After I clear up my sleeping problems, everything will be fine._

He still had this feeling that everything… his insomnia, the sudden pain in his head, and his ominous predator… was somehow all linked together...


	3. Chapter 3

**Heeeyyyy, hope you guys are liking this so far! Also, I wanted to let you all know that I'm only going to be able to update once next week 'cause of a bunch of homework and tests I've got coming up. You know how it is. :-)**

 **ENJOY CHAPTER 3!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3:**

Izuku was so tired, he felt the urge to cry. He just wanted to _sleep_.

After yet another restless night - even though he'd taken Recovery Girl's medicine - he felt about ready to curl up and die, giving up on any remaining hope for sleep. If nothing had helped him at this point, what were the chances something _ever_ would? He was at loss to know what was causing all this. Was it something he was doing? Was it something else? Was he sick? Cursed? Just going insane…?

This had to be the worst day so far.

One all-nighter, he could handle. Everybody could. Two was manageable, for the most part… it was for the overachievers. You were going to be a little brain dead after staying up so long, but by the third night, everyone knew it was time to call it quits and finally get some rest.

Three entire nights without sleep, however… that was just unbearable. He felt like he was in some sort of twisted dream, slightly distorted from reality. During that third night awake, he thought might've hallucinated once or twice, paranoid at every shadow and soft creak in the walls. A few times he was certain Canamist had tracked him down, at last coming to kill him in his weakened state. Others he completely forgot about the villain and wondered why he felt so anxious until he finally remembered. His brain was all too quickly losing touch with the world.

Once again, Uraraka found an exhausted Izuku downstairs bright and early. This time, he was lying on the couch near the TV, one forearm covering his eyes. It almost appeared like he was sleeping, but an occasional shift or sigh proved otherwise.

"Were you able to sleep last night?" she said hopefully, sitting down in a chair next to him upon announcing her entrance.

Strangely, Izuku didn't move to acknowledge her like he usually did. He just groaned. "I don't know… maybe… it's hard to remember if I dozed off or not…"

She frowned. "I'll take that as a no, then." After a pause, she waited for him to say something more.

Izuku finally took his arm off his face, looking up at her through slightly blurred vision. He sat up, gritting his teeth through the painful action. "Yeah, probably not…"

"Deku, you really shouldn't go to class today," she said. "Mr. Aizawa and the others will understand. You're exhausted."

"Of all things, he's an expert on sleep deprivation," Izuku agreed.

"You could skip classes today and spend the extra time trying to sleep - or with Recovery Girl. She told you to come back if the medicine didn't work."

"But we've got a test coming up and I have to do my best… I can manage till lunch. I'll see her then. I know my health is important, but I don't think it's necessary to miss class. After all, I bet tons of other people have stayed up later than me and still went to school." He wasn't sure if that was true, but it made sense to his half-functioning brain.

Uraraka bit her lip. "Have you called All Might yet and told him about what's going on? Not only the sleep problems, but Canamist, too?"

"No, I didn't think he needed to know just yet… He's in America right now visiting some old college friends," Izuku explained. "He told me that the school board wanted him to take a break after all the work he'd been putting in lately. You know... ever since his secret was revealed, he felt like he had to prove himself extra."

"Oh, so _that's_ why he suddenly left last week… Aizawa's a great replacement teacher for him, but I kind of miss All Might's class, even if he did read off his own notecards," she laughed. "I'm sure he'd like to know about what's going on, though. You guys seem really close - like a father/son hero team or something!"

Izuku looked embarrassed. "Y-yeah, he's kind of taken over as my mentor, I guess…" He rubbed the back of his head. "I might let him know about all this later, but I'm not sure he can help… I don't want to worry him when he's trying to relax. Especially since he can't fight villains anymore; knowing one is after me might make him upset. It wouldn't be right to put that on him." He slowly pulled himself off the couch. "I better go shower before class…"

"Huh? But, you're already wearing your day clothes."

"What?" He looked down and realized Uraraka was right. That was weird. He hadn't remembered putting them on. "O-oh… right… I'll just use my spare set after, then…"

Uraraka watched him race to the elevator, a clear look of dismay in her eyes as it was becoming more and more apparent that something wasn't quite right with her friend.

* * *

The morning classes passed slowly. Way too slowly for Izuku. Fortunately, home room was short, as usual, but English with Present Mic was awful. He didn't understand a word of what his teacher said, sitting there with a blank expression as his classmates nodded along, taking diligent notes. And every time Present Mic yelled, he cringed, covering his ears. Sound really bothered him for some reason.

After two more long periods, it was finally time for lunch. He drooped over his desk, not wanting to move. Maybe if he just sat there for a while, he'd be able to fall asleep…

"Deku?"

Uraraka's voice came from close to his seat.

"You're _really_ pale… I'm getting scared. Can Iida and I take you to Recovery Girl now?"

It had taken a little while, but bags were beginning to become more and more prominent beneath his eyes and snowy white skin replaced a normally rosy face. Izuku knew deep within him that something was wrong and he should get some help, but it had taken him a stupidly long time to realize it. _I'm getting too sleep-deprived for my own good._

He was quiet for a moment, then murmured, "Okay." He couldn't be an idiot, even if he was tired. Not being able to think shouldn't have excused his overall welfare.

Getting up from his chair was agonizing. Each small task seeming ten times harder, things that had never bothered him before made his head throb.

 _Ouch... I_ really _need some sleep._

Uraraka and Iida once again walked him to Recovery Girl's office, but this time he managed to convince them to leave him and go to lunch. He wasn't even sure if he'd make it to afternoon classes.

"I don't want to leave you alone, though," Uraraka said. "With how exhausted you are, you could collapse again! Not to mention Canamist still out there…"

Izuku tried a wonky smile. "If I collapse, I'll finally be able to sleep, right? Okay, bad joke… And I doubt a villain's getting in _here_. This is one of the safest places in Japan after all those security breaches. All U.A. staff knows about him now, including Recovery Girl, so I have a team of aware pro heroes at my side." All the reasons laid out, he found no valid reason to worry. "I'll be completely fine."

"Midoriya speaks the truth," Iida sighed. "It does make sense, no matter how concerned we may be. Very well, we will leave you with Recovery Girl, but remember to call one of us if you require any assistance."

"Sure."

It wasn't long before he'd reached the nurse's office and was promptly being examined by Recovery Girl.

"The medicine didn't work for you last night?" she said in disdain as she took his blood pressure.

He shook his head tiredly. "No…"

"Not sleeping for three days isn't in anyways good, Izuku," she chided. "If this goes on any further, you're going to be heading into serious danger. After four days without sleep, people begin to show maniacal tendencies."

"You - you think I'm going to go insane?"

"...I never said that," she said after a concerning pause. "However, sleep deprivation isn't something to be messed around with."

So, he _was_ going to go crazy, then, like some character in a sci-fi novel. He felt his chest fill with dread and hopelessness. He'd known that not sleeping was bad for a person... but not to the point of insanity.

"Alright! All done…" She took the pad from his arm. "Your blood pressure is abnormally high. That may be a factor in your insomnia, but I doubt it would keep you awake for so long."

"Can you just give me something to wake me up a little?" he asked. "For my afternoon classes. I'll do the medicine again tonight."

"You still plan on going to class? Tsk tsk… I don't think that's such a good idea with the way you're looking, Izuku."

She took his his figure; slumped, pale, and fatigued he didn't look like he could walk down the hall, let alone go through hero training.

"Maybe you're right," he conceded. "I guess I just head back to Heights Alliance. And if I don't sleep tonight… I won't go to class tomorrow." He rubbed his eyes for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day. "So… should I drink more coffee? Get myself on a sugar rush?" He gave a breathy laugh, feeling more than a little delirious.

"I doubt that would help much at this time."

"I have to function somehow… and it's not like I need to calm down before bed…" He swallowed. _Plus, there's keeping my brain alert because of Canamist. He's still out there - the heroes haven't gotten him yet or I would've been contacted._ A frown pulled at his lips. _I wonder why the heroes haven't been able to find him yet... and why he's going through all this trouble to get me when he could've easily picked me off in that store…_

In addition, if the gas _was_ some sort of tracker, it would explain Canamist being able to find his prey… but why wouldn't the victim fight back when he finally came for them? It wasn't like they were taken by surprise… right? There was something about this whole thing that didn't make sense.

He realized Recovery Girl had started talking again. _I've really got to stop zoning out._

"I suppose that is true. I'll see what I can do for you for now…"

* * *

Izuku crashed in Height's Alliance living room as soon as he got back from Recovery Girl's. He was too tired to go upstairs and didn't want to be alone in his dorm, anyways. There was no _way_ he'd be able to go to classes tomorrow - it was a miracle he'd survived as long as he did. He was terrified at the thought of not being able to sleep again tonight.

Because, surely, it wasn't possible for his body to allow him without _any_ rest for four days… _96 hours…_ right?

"Deku, I'm getting really worried about you," Uraraka said, brow creased in concern. She and the others had just gotten back from afternoon classes. They were both resting on the couch to talk a little. The others were either talking in the kitchen, doing homework in their dorms, or outside training. Though they confirm so, Izuku could tell they were all still keeping a silent eye out for Canamist for him - as well as pretty much the entire school. He'd been so wrapped up in his own world, he hadn't had the chance to thank them.

"Deku? You with me?"

His head swiveled. "Y-yes. I am… with you."

Pursing her lips, Uraraka gave a disapproving look. "You've gone _three_ nights without sleep… Deku, I've tried to let you make your own decisions until now, but this is where I have to draw the line if I'm going to be a good friend. You can't go on like this any longer. You need to go to the hospital."

"I'll go... soon, if this doesn't clear up. I promise. It's just that nothing has helped me so far, so... will the hospital be able... to help... help..." He stopped short, mind already drifting away from the conversation.

"Deku?"

He looked up, squinting. _Stupid brain... why can't I do something as easy as think?_ "Yeah?"

"...you haven't slept since the store attack."

Oh. He guessed that was true. It felt like ages ago, though…

"Are you… maybe too anxious to sleep? I mean, I know I might be if I was targeted by some villain… I'd want to keep a look out and make sure that I was safe and-"

"No, it's not that!" Izuku said, embarrassed. He wasn't forcing himself to stay up. "I _feel_ fine overall, I guess. It's like, my body's perfectly healthy... but I just can't sleep, even though I'm really tired. My body's up for it… but my brain's just not in sync."

Uraraka tilted her head. "Well, if it's not _you…_ then what?"

"If I knew that, I'd already be…" He suddenly paused. "Wait - wait a second." Though his brain was foggy, an idea filtered through. "You're right, Uraraka. I _haven't_ slept since Canamist held up that store…"

"Um... yeah…?"

"...since I breathed in that gas."

"I guess s- hold on. Deku... you think that it…" Confusion contorted her face as she began to understand what he was getting at. "...But the doctors said that it wasn't poisonous, right?"

"Yeah, and maybe it's not - not in a toxic way, at least. Maybe… maybe it's meant to be used for something else." His head began to whirl with possibilities his tired self had trouble keeping up with.

"Like…? You think the gas causes - what, insomnia?"

"Something like that. It's just… the lady on the phone said Canamist was hunting me down and would try to kill me within the week - four more days, then." He grimaced. "This whole time, I've been wondering how he'd be able to find me, you know? And why wouldn't the people marked fight back when he eventually came for them? Something just didn't add up. Now, I think it all fits together…"

Uraraka frowned. "You're not making any sense, Deku. What are you thinking?"

"I think… the gas is used as a tracker, like we've thought about before," he replied, focusing as hard as he could to try to be clearer. "But that's not its only ability. I think that it somehow weakens the victim so that the attacker is able to overtake them more easily. Maybe it's different for each person… but this gas inside of me is keeping me awake, somehow. It's weakening me by exhaustion so that I can't fight when Canamist finally strikes. It's making me immobile so I'll be helpless by the time he comes."

" _What_? That's - that's crazy… I…" She swallowed, but seemed to growing on his idea. It did make some sort of twisted sense. "Wouldn't the hospital have picked up on those effects? And if they knew Canamist would come back, wouldn't they know what his quirk did to the people he killed?"

"I don't think the tests are meant to pick up on these kinds of things. They're designed to find poison, not stuff like this. And if the victim didn't even realize what was going on till it was too late, then there's a chance no one's realized the quirk's real purpose until now." He suddenly stood from the couch in a vivid epiphany. "Everyone thinks that his quirk is a tracker, but it's not! It's used to disable you, like… like a slow-moving poison! A paralyzer… a venom!"

Uraraka followed him to her feet. "Deku… if this is true, then we have to tell somebody right away! By the time he tries to get to you, you'll be too weak to defend yourself!"

Izuku wasn't dumb enough to deny it. He was exhausted already, and if he had to stay awake for four entire more days… he sagged at the crippling thought, wanting to cry. He'd be in no shape at all to fight. He needed physical protection, whether by heroes or his friends.

"We'll go to the hospital," he said seriously, "and let them know what's going on. Maybe they can get me some sort of protection, too - bodyguards or whatever. With each day, I'm less and less safe..."

Uraraka nodded. "I'll go with you. I don't think it's safe right now to be alone."

Izuku felt his heart drop not for the first time that day. She was right. It wasn't safe to go _anywhere_ outside U.A. alone anymore. Canamist might've been watching him right then… preparing for the perfect opportunity to attack.

 _I have to keep up my guard even if my body won't cooperate_ , he told himself as he and Uraraka hurried from Heights Alliance to head to the train station. _I can't take any chances with this. The moment I'm too weak to fight, I'll be taken out…_ It was a blood-chilling thought. _And if the heroes do find Canamist… can I even survive without sleep until then? With already three days of being awake, I'm just barely making it. How much longer can I go?_

At first, he only had finding Canamist to worry about. Now, he had another threat looming in the near distance. The heroes who were searching for the villain didn't have much longer. If they were unable find the villain soon, they'd lose Izuku. Not to a criminal, but to a human unable to function awake any longer.

Time was running out.

* * *

"You think Canamist's quirk is _what_?!"

Dr. Ohno stared at Izuku and Uraraka with an incredulous disbelief.

"Insomnia - or some sort of weakening power," Izuku repeated tiredly. "I haven't slept in three days… at first I thought my brain was just hyperactive or something, but… but, well…" For the life of him, he just couldn't finish his ending.

"...it makes sense that the gas would've been behind it somehow." Uraraka thankfully stepped in for him.

Dr. Ohno looked doubtful, but a little thoughtful. "I'm not sure. This entire situation is unlike anything I've ever witnessed, which is saying something. Izuku, we'll try and help you with your insomnia, but we can't be completely sure it's linked to the gas. We're going to have to run many more tests to be certain."

"You guys didn't find anything before," Uraraka said. "So, why do you think you will now? Deku's exhausted… this _has_ to be something the gas did! He literally _can't_ sleep!"

The doctor pursed her lips. "Even if we did know it was the gas behind your sleeping problems, we would still have a bad situation on our hands. The heroes haven't been able to find Canamist yet, which leaves us possibly unable to fix your insomnia without knowing what's going on in your body. We've got two huge problems in the air right now."

"Yeah, either we don't find Canamist and I die from lack of sleep, or he hunts me down and kills me himself." He knew he sounded pessimistic, but it was a pretty bleak situation, to be fair. Things didn't look good for him no matter how he looked at it.

"You're not going to die, Izuku. We'll get you get some sleep," Dr. Ohno promised. "Don't worry. I'll have the team who contacts the heroes add much more backup and let them know that they need to hurry. I'm not certain about your theory, but I won't take risks with anyone's life."

Izuku's tense shoulders slumped with relief. He trusted the pros. They'd find Canamist, for sure. And in the meantime, the hospital might be able to give him some medicine to help him fall asleep. Things might be turning around a little.

"Thank you so much," he said gratefully.

"Of course. Now, with Canamist out there - especially with your insomnia as a factor in the present danger - I'd recommend close protection until we can sort this out. I'm going contact a few pros and have them at your school to act as bodyguards by morning."

"That's great," Izuku said, relieved. "My teacher, Mr. Aizawa, lives close by, so I think he'll be okay to watch out for me tonight. He already does look out for us as it is - I'll be safe at Height's Alliance. Um... could I have the sleeping medicine to take back with me for tonight?" It was only evening, but he was more than ready to lapse into unconsciousness for a long, _long_ time.

Dr. Ohno gave a short nod. "I'll get some ready for you right now and you can take it before you go to bed."

"Sounds great," he smiled. Finally, there was something good that might be happening…

* * *

Izuku and Uraraka were sent back to Heights Alliance hours later with heavy sleeping pills in hand. The whole train ride back, Izuku shut his eyes tight, more than ready for this nightmare to end. Doctor Ohno had said the pills were sure to knock him out and that he should plan to miss classes tomorrow. He didn't mind. He knew that his health was more important than school and that his teachers would understand if he took a few days off.

He could feel Uraraka's eyes on him as they trudged back to school. They hadn't spoken much since they left, he avoiding the conversation. He couldn't keep his mind focused long enough to talk, anyways.

"There you guys are!" Ashido shouted when the pair entered. She and the rest of the class were all downstairs, heads turned to look at their friends as they entered. "We were getting really worried."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I texted you where we were," Uraraka said.

"Yeah, but _still_! It's getting late and with that scary villain out there, I get freaked out!"

Izuku sighed, head slumped. There was no energy left remaining in him. "Yeah… about Canamist… Uraraka and I made a… discovery about him…"

"Discovery?" Todoroki repeated.

"WAIT JUST A MINUTE! You two never should've left school grounds without an adult when a villain is hunting you!" Iida chided. His brow was deeply creased and he looked about ready to start on a lecture. "Who _knows_ what could've happened!"

"Just let them explain, Emergency Exit," Kirishima said and Iida blinked at the old nickname.

"Do you want to tell them? Or do you want me to?" Uraraka asked Izuku.

"You can… I'm…" He yawned. "I'm… really tired… I don't think I talk… for long… I'm gonna head to bed… now that I have the medicine, I can sleep."

Ah. Sleep. This felt like a fairytale. After this whole mess was over, he was never going to take it for granted again.

Uraraka smiled at him. "Of course! Go on, I don't want to keep you up."

"Thanks… I'll see you guys tomorrow afternoon," he joked, heading to the elevators with his pharmacy bag. He could barely keep his eyes open by then, rubbing at them persistently.

As he entered the elevator, he could hear Uraraka begin to explain their epiphany about Canamist's gas and how it was connected to his sudden insomnia. Hopefully, the mist wouldn't be strong enough to suppress heavy duty sleeping pills.

 _No._ Of course not. Nothing could do that. He was going to get some sleep and be fine by tomorrow…

After slowly getting ready for bed, he entered his room and took two of the pills the doctor had told him to take. They were supposed to be effective within a few minutes. He certainly felt its effects working, so tired now he could barely think straight. He let his body relax in a spread eagle position on his bed.

 _I don't know_ what _I'd do if these didn't work_ , he thought dreamily, feeling like he was already drifting off. _Four days without sleep? That's something I don't think anyone should ever try… so tired… I hope these things kick in soon…_

A few minutes seemed to pass, but he still laid there, wide awake. _Huh… I wonder why these haven't worked yet… maybe I should check the bottle again to make sure about the timing thing. Could it have been hours and not minutes…?_

As he padded across the floor to his desk, his head spun, pounding with discomfort. _Weird. Where'd that headache come from?_ He hadn't noticed it until now, but it reminded him of the one he'd had the other day in the hall in front of Uraraka and Iida.

On the pill bottle, the words remained the same as before: _two pills for people aged 12, works within five minutes._

He went to check the time, knowing he'd headed for bed around eight o'clock. It'd probably been about twenty minutes since he'd taken his dose. Maybe he needed a little more time than others to absorb it after being up so long.

 _12:24 AM._

He nearly dropped his phone. _I've been laying there awake for_ four _hours?! And… I've felt_ nothing

Izuku felt nausea stir as a ripple of horror washed over him. _The medicine didn't work. The best medicine the doctor could've prescribed for me… failed._ He put a clammy hand to his face. _Canamist's powers… are_ way _stronger than I first thought._

His heart faltered with defeat as a realization sunk in.

 _If I can't sleep… after all we've tried… after everything we've done… I'm going to die._

 _I'm going to die._

 _Die_. He'd never imagined such a previously unknown cause as sleep-deprivation being the thing to take him in the end. Now, it was all he could think about.

 _Canamist... won. There was never any need to hunt me down. He just had to do_ this _to me._

The villain didn't even have to be in the same room as him. In his own, cruel, twisted way… he was killing Izuku after all.

* * *

Izuku didn't want to wake anybody, but he was too afflicted with his growing delirium to think rationally. He stumbled out of his room and headed blurrily to Iida's dorm with only one thought in mind.

 _Help. I need help._

He tapped his hand on the door with a trembling hand, but it was too light... far too light... His distress grew as he realized Iida probably wouldn't hear him. He should try again, he knew, but he suddenly found he had no strength left in him.

Defeated, he hunched over and sank to the floor. Soon, he was completely down on the ground, too exhausted and upset to move another inch. Who cared about dignity at a time like this? He didn't have enough energy to expend. He just couldn't do this anymore. He _couldn't_.

But it wasn't but a few more moments (or was it?) before something creaked close by to him - and then came a set of quiet footsteps. Izuku heard a sudden intake of breath and wanted to cry in relief when he realized Iida had appeared. _He'd heard him after all..._

"Midoriya? Midoriya!"

"Iida," he rasped, eyes locking on his friend's with a final, pleading desperation. " _Help me._ "


End file.
